Join us in developing community energy projects in West Northamptonshire

An invitation from the Energy Group of West Northamptonshire Climate and Nature Partnership

Community energy projects enable local people, by coming together, to unlock opportunities to produce their own renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy bills for buildings like schools, community centres, and residential houses that combine to install solar, all helping to keep the financial benefits within the area. 

According to Community Energy England’s State of the Sector report 2025 there are 614 Community Energy organisations across the UK, though the number of actual community energy projects in West Northamptonshire that are registered on Community Energy England's projects map implies West Northants is a comparative Community Energy ‘desert’

(1).

A West Northants community energy group, that sets up as perhaps a co-op or a CIC, with the financial support now available from the Government’s Great British Energy

(2) who have allocated £1 billion to community energy development, could help small businesses and residents in West Northants make the shift to renewables.

Expert advice is now freely available to such community energy groups from Community Energy GO

(3) and Community Energy Pathways

(4) on how to get started, as well as support through the various stages of assessing project viability, fund raising, planning issues, and managing the project once implemented.

If you are interested in finding out more (and do see refs 5 & 6 below) and/or informally discussing your specific interests in possibly getting involved in a West Northants community energy group, then please write to: wncanpartnership@gmail.com

References.  1) communityenergyengland.org/national-map             2) https://www.gbe.gov.uk/funding/gbe-community-fund  (Up to £40,000, £100,000 or £3 million, depending on the stage) 3) communityenergygo.org.uk            4) communityenergypathways.org.uk 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEwonstANoo (This is a 60 mins webinar. If time is tight, the section from 5 to 35 mins, is the 2 main speakers describing impressive examples of CE projects around the country). 6) https://communityenergyengland.org/news/the-evolution-of-community-energy-and-what-to-consider-when-taking-community-energy-into-the-mainstream (A July 2026 interview with the head of a community energy group in the Bath area that has been operating since 2010.)

Skills

People who have some relevant professional technical, finance or legal background – such as in the renewable energy sector, engineering, planning, project management – are especially useful in establishing a group. BUT, anyone can get involved in a community energy group – as enthusiasm and some time commitment are the core requirements to learn about how to develop projects and get a group set up.